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Make public buildings, courts accessible to persons with disabilities

The Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria, on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, appealed to the Enugu State Government to make public buildings, courts in the state accessible to persons with disabilities.

The appeal was contained in an open letter signed by the President and state Chairman of the association, Mr Daniel Onwe and Mr Gab Nnamani, and addressed to Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Ize-Iyamu, Oshiomhole, their cohorts common denominators of political violence in Edo – Obaseki The letter, entitled “An opportunity to make our courts accessible to persons with disabilities’’, was made available to newsmen in Enugu.

The group stated that public buildings, including courts, could be made accessible with ramps, lifts and other assistive devices in each court building in the state. The letter stated: “We have taken cognisance of the fact that the courts in Enugu state are currently undergoing renovation. “This is a very laudable project, which could not have come at a more opportuned time.

“Your Excellency, we request that this window of opportunity be utilised to, now, make the courts in the state accessible to persons with disabilities, who may be approaching the said courts, either as counsel or litigants, to seek justice. “This accessibility can be achieved by installation of ramps, lifts and other assistive devices. “We know how natural it could be for the peculiar interest of persons with disability to be overlooked in such circumstance. “It may interest you,

Your Excellency to know that President Muhammadu Buhari in January, 2019, by his assent, brought into force the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act.’’ According to the associaiton, making buildings and the environment accessible to persons with disabilities has now become a global trend. “This project of court renovation in Enugu state is a golden opportunity for the people and government of Enugu state to further demonstrate sensitivity to the plight and peculiarities of persons with disabilities. “This will in line meet with the extant Nigerian law and global best practices’’. (NAN)

 

As Published in Daily Times Newspapers